A place that felt safe: The evolution of the gay bar across the U.S. – Fox 46 Charlotte

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Though wide acceptance of gay culture is a thing of recent history, the gay bar has been around for well over 100 years. But some bar owners feel wider acceptance has come at a price: the need for gay bars.

Petras in Plaza Midwood is a snapshot of the story of the American gay bar.

It happened that there was another bar in town called Liasons that closed around 2009 or 2010, and that clientele started coming over here. Since it was already gay-owned, it was just a natural fit, said Petras Owner Curtis Tutt.

Gay-owned and operated from its opening in 2007, Petras quickly became known as a safe haven for Charlottes LGBTQ community.

Billy Reasor says he came out around the time Petras opened. He was just getting out of a heterosexual marriage, finding his place in his new community.

I was finding a place in the LGBT community, and this was a place that felt safe, said Reasor. I could do things that I thought were so taboo and I could live my authentic life. And that happened here. That happened at Petras.

That was the role of gay bars for thousands, if not millions of the countrys LGBTQ population, particularly during the 1970s. Gay bars were a place to drink, dance, and be unapologetically yourself.

The gay bar is where I met my husband. The gay bar is where I felt it was OK to be me. Because I hid me for so long, said Reasor.

But the story of the gay bar doesnt end there and its not a fairytale. The number of gay bars has declined significantly over the past few decades. For example, San Francisco, which has one of the largest LGBTQ populations in the country. Slate News reports the Gayellow Pages placed 118 gay bars in San Francisco in 1973. In 2011, that number plummeted to 33.

And in New York City, Manhattan had 86 gay bars at its peak in 1978. By 2011, there were 44.

Weve changed so much now that we dont really need the safe haven part of it because people feel comfortable anywhere, said Tutt.

Its not just growing acceptance thats contributed to the decline of gay bars. Online dating has also forced bar owners to make some tough choices.

It comes to a point of change or die, said Tutt. We really dont identify as a gay bar anymore, but we are and always have been accepting and open to everybody.

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Its a sad reality for those who once relished in the unwavering acceptance that comes with a space designed for people just like them. But some argue there is still a place for gay bars in todays world. Some people will never feel comfortable going to bars where they risk discrimination and hateful rhetoric.

There are still [gay bars] here in Charlotte and some that I go to semi-regularly. But theyre not the place to be like they used to be, said Tutt. Its wonderful that they dont feel the need to have that safe haven. But at the same time, its sad.

A side effect of progress: inclusivity at the price of exclusivity.

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A place that felt safe: The evolution of the gay bar across the U.S. - Fox 46 Charlotte